Research News

Graphene, a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon, holds remarkable promise for future nanoelectronics applications. Whether graphene actually cuts it in industry, however, depends upon how graphene is cut, say researchers at the University of Illinois.

By pushing carbon nanotubes close to their breaking point, researchers at the University of Illinois have demonstrated a remarkable increase in the current-carrying capacity of the nanotubes, well beyond what was previously thought possible.

By integrating a solid-state electron emitter and a mcrocavity plasma device, researchers at the University of Illinois have created a plasma transistor that could be used to make lighter, less expensive and higher resolution flat-panel displays.

ECE Professor and Director of the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory and colleagues have developed a new array of microfabricated silicon cantilevers that enable researchers to track the growth of cells.

Along with ECE Professor and part-time resident faculty member of the Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, Grep Timp, Professor Jean-Pierre Leburton (an MNTL affiliate) is studying DNA sequencing using a synthetic nanopore. The effort stems from a large goal of the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to make DNA sequencing faster and more cost effective. The current model to establish a human genome involves a process that requires hundreds of thousands of dollars and takes weeks to complete through a biochemical process.